


you don't have to say 'I love you' to say i love you

by blafard



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, Love Languages, M/M, Post-Canon, Touching, author also doesnt know how polo works, author doesnt know if jaffa cakes are a dessert or biscuits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 23:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20920313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blafard/pseuds/blafard
Summary: the five love languages as moments in Alex's and Henry's relationship





	you don't have to say 'I love you' to say i love you

**Author's Note:**

> title from "for him" by troye sivan

_ **i. words of affirmation** _

It wasn't a very regular occurrence these days for Henry to stay in bed all day, but sometimes-- sometimes everything became too much and he wanted to diappear, he wanted to be left alone and to be able to be miserable without anyone asking him questions about things he didn't have the nerve to think about.

So, he took a day and left his phone in the living room of the brownstone he bought only months ago when he still felt invincible with Alex at his side and their love out in the open, and vowed to stay in bed all day.

Alex wouldn't be back until Saturday which was still three days away, so he didn't have to put on a smile and try to be a functioning human being for a little while at least.

He wanted to make the most of it and recharge.

He knew logically, that he would have to get up at some point, even if only to feed David and curl up on the couch while _The Great British Bake Off_ kept him company in the otherwise empty space, but he decided that he could stay another hour and stare into space, before he moved his tired limbs.

* * *

Henry wasn't very surprised that he actually fell asleep soon after, but it still left him vaguely irritated that he wasn't even able to do the simplest of tasks on days like this.

The sun has long since disappeared behind the thick blue curtains Alex and he picked out when they decided to move in together and with a small sigh he finally sat up in bed and dragged his legs over the edge until he flinched when his bare feet met the cold wood floor.

They really should get a carpet the next time he and Alex had a free weekend.

He pointedly ignored his own reflection, as he left the bedroom and didn't flick on the light in the bathroom, where he stripped and got into the shower.

* * *

David looked _delighted_ to see Henry after the blond pried himself off the floor of their shower and kept walking circles around Henry until he almost tripped and fell face first onto the floor.

"If you make me trip, we both know I wouldn't stand up for an hour, so be good, David," he said and tried to sound stern, but didn't really manage, when David cocked his head to the side and rubbed his warm body against his legs, until Henry filled his bowl with food.

"That would be a shame. We can't have your pretty face all bruised up, Henry," Alex said suddenly, which startled the prince so badly that he knocked his knee against a cabinet and had to support himself against the counter before he could turn around and face his boyfriend.

He blinked a few times, disbelief temporally overshadowing that deep nothingness he felt for hours now, until he realized that Alex really stood in front of him and wasn't one of his way too vivid dreams.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, barely caring that he sounded exhausted and done even to his own ears.

Alex was quick to pick up on his tone and came slowly closer, the smile disappearing from his lips to make room for genuine concern and worry.

"I missed you," he simply said, as if it was a fact Henry should know and _it was_, because Henry missed him too but he never was one to say it so plainly.

"But... tonight is that important state dinner at the White House," he responded, which was met with a funny look on Alex's face.

"And?"

"You're the First Son. You're supposed to be there."

"I'm sure they will survive without my _charming_ personality for one night," Alex said with an ease Henry loved so very much.

Alex didn't waste another second of standing around after that and came closer. His arms slid easily around Henry's waist and then he leaned up and gave Henry a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling the taller one into a strong hug.

Henry's arms found their familiar place around Alex's body and then they simply stood there, right in the middle of their kitchen with David between their feet and a bruise forming on Henry's knee he would have to put ice on later.

"There's no place on earth I'd rather be than here with you, baby and I'll keep saying it, until we get a smile on those perfect lips of yours," he heard Alex mumble into his new shirt and he found that he wasn't against that idea.

Tomorrow, he would have another session with his therapist and pick up his meds, but until then he found comfort in Alex's words and warm arms.

** _ii. acts of service_ **

Alex was _exhausted_.

He never underestimated how hard it would be to get into law school, help out with Henry's charity, attend all sorts of state functions and have a healthy relationship with a man just as busy as he was, but sometimes he couldn't help but get buried under all of these responsibilities and work until he barely slept, which resulted in him crashing at odd hours and places whenever he got a few spare minutes.

This time, he fell asleep with his face buried in a dusty book in the library with maybe twenty minutes before his next class started.

He was pretty sure he forgot to set an alarm, but he was too _tired_ to do that now.

* * *

There was a warm, very soft hand brushing through his hair and he really, _really_ liked it.

He didn't know how long he had been sleeping for but he would appreciate it if the hand kept brushing through his curls until he fell asleep again.

That would be great.

But the hand soon ceased its movement and he had to refrain from pouting, when he was pulled up and was met with two beautiful blue eyes and a very, very beautiful face that belonged to his very own prince.

"Hi," he whispered, because even though he fell asleep and would love to continue to do so, he was still in a library and knew how to behave.

"I was looking for you," Henry whispered in return and Alex had only half a mind to check the time and realize that at least four hours passed since he decided to take an impromptu nap on top of a book.

Well, going to class wasn't possible anymore.

"I only wanted to take a small nap," he tried to reassure Henry and much to his surprise he got a small laugh out of him!

"I can see that," Henry replied, then began to pack all of Alex's stuff into his bag and pencil case. Alex watched, still very tired and falling a little more in love with the man in front of him and only decided to stand up after Henry slid Alex's bag over his own shoulder and reached for the book in front of him.

"Do you need this?" he asked, his eyes briefly skimming over the title, before he caught Alex's nod and closed the book.

"Shaan is waiting in a car for us, so if you need any more books we can look for them now," Henry said, pushed Alex's glasses up his nose and then grabbed his hand to intertwine their fingers.

Alex could feel his heart swell at the adorable expression on Henry's face and couldn't help but lean up and give him a deep kiss as a_ 'thank you'._

"No, I would love to go home now."

The smile on Henry's lips only grew.

* * *

Shaan wasn't very thrilled when Henry told him that Alex fell asleep in the library without anyone noticing, but refrained from scolding him too much with the promise of a conversation about _appropriate nap places_ in the next week or so.

* * *

The first thing Alex did when they came home, was kick off his shoes, drop his jacket into a chair and almost crawl into bed right away.

Henry trailed him quietly, a sigh leaving his lips, when he saw that Alex didn't even bother to switch his jeans for some comfortable shorts, but he chose not to comment on it.

"Alex, you have to eat something," he said instead. Alex grumbled something unintelligible and then pulled the covers over his head.

"Let me at least help you take off your jeans," he tried then. Alex thought about it a few seconds and then rolled over again.

"Fine, but if you want to get into my pants so badly, you could simply ask," he replied, trying to sound suggestive but failing, when he almost fell of the bed after getting tangled in the sheets.

"Belive me, when I say that getting into your pants, as you've phrased it so _eloquently_, is the last thing on my mind right now," his statement was accompied with a nice eye roll and Alex really shouldn't find it as endearing as he did.

Henry's fingers made quick work of the buttons and zipper of Alex's jeans and then he pulled them off Alex's legs in the least sexy way ever and threw them in some corner, before working on the buttons of Alex's shirt.

Alex loved how domestic it all was and tried to be as still as possible while Henry worked on his shirt. The jeans were soon joined by the shirt and then Henry was already pulling a clean, but worn and familair shirt over Alex's head.

"Now you're free to sleep however long you want," Henry said at last, pressed a gentle kiss against Alex's temple and pulled the covers over him.

"You're an _angel_," Alex mumbled and barely noticed another eye roll before falling asleep again.

** _iii. receiving gifts_ **

Henry had been craving Jaffa Cakes for weeks now.

The thing was, even though he could simply ask Bea to send some his way, he felt like it was too much of a hassle and simply ignored his cravings, because they really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

He would be able to get some when he returned to England in three weeks anyways and until then he would have to live with the frankly lacking biscuits the Americans had to offer.

It wasn't a big deal.

It really wasn't.

But---

_He would really like some right about now._

The stack of paperwork in front of him was enough to distract him from his cravings and soon, he completely forgot about the nice glass of milk he had poured himself before he realized he didn't have any Jaffa Cakes to dunk into.

* * *

It was stupid, because he was a grown man, for God's sake. He was an actual prince with all sorts of things to do, but after another fitful night in which he was declined of any sort of sleep he would love to curl up on their couch and feel soothed by the familiar taste of his favorite sweets.

Alex was dead to the world by now and Henry didn't want to wake him, especially since he knew how many things the other man had on his own plate, so he was quiet as he slipped out of bed and closed the door behind himself.

He stepped around David in front of their bedroom and then decided to turn around and scoop him up to take David with him into the living room.

Then he curled up on their oversized, but very comfortable couch, waited until David placed his head in his lap and then turned the TV onto the lowest setting, to not disturb Alex's sleep.

His hand soon found a permanent place between David's ears and he was gentle, as he stroked him over and over in a soothing manner that calmed both.

Henry remembered quite a lot of nights like this, with only David and the TV as company, while sleep escaped him but now he wasn't surrounded by the impersonal golden cage he used to live in or portraits of ancestors that judged his every step and he thought that was a _huge_ improvement.

Almost an hour passed before he heard the quiet sounds of an opening door and the slow footsteps of Alex and soon after the latter stood in the doorway to their living room, his curls a mess and shirt so rumpled, that Henry could see a whole lot of exposed skin.

Alex squinted at the TV for a few seconds, then his eyes flickered over to Henry and David on the couch and he turned around abruptly much to Henry's surprise.

He barely heard the cabinets open in kitchen before Alex came back again, a package of... something Henry couldn't quite make out and a full glass of milk in his other hand.

"Scoot over," he demanded then, his voice still rough from sleep. Henry did as he was told and made room for him until Alex placed the glass onto the small table in front of the couch and took a seat next to him. Then he rubbed his eyes to wake himself up and pushed the package into Henry's hands. David perked up at the movement happening around him and was quick in planting himself in Alex's lap like a little _traitor_.

Confused, Henry ripped away the brown paper and had to do a double take when he saw the blue and orange package that held his favorite sweets.

His eyes met Alex's and he couldn't help but smile at the tired, but very soft expression on his face.

"How did you know?" he asked as he opened the package and took two Jaffa Cakes at once.

"I know that Jaffa Cake is your comfort snack... dessert? You know what I mean," he replied. His hand found its way onto David's head and he continued to stroke him gently, much like Henry had done only minutes before.

"I asked Bea to send an entire carton full of them, so they should arrive in about two days," he added, this time more quietly. Henry didn't know what he did to deserve such a considerate and perfect boyfriend, but he thanked everything in the universe for him.

"Thank you, Alex," Henry said and it was quite obvious that he didn't only mean the package he now held in his hands, but everything Alex did and continued to do for him, even though a simple '_thank you'_ could never cover it.

"Do you want some?" he asked then and Alex looked surprised at the offer.

"Are you sure that you don't want to enjoy them in peace?"

"I offered, didn't I?"

** _iv. physical touch_ **

Alex and Henry weren't a couple that was big on PDA. Especially since their every move got analysed and interpretated only hours later and they didn't want to give the press even more things to talk about, so they mostly refrained from kissing and touching at public functions.

However, sometimes they liked the reminder that the other one was right there, at their side.

They were currently at a charity polo match. Henry looked _amazing_ atop his horse and in those tight breeches that showed off his muscular thighs and the shirt he wore hugged his upper body in all the right places. Alex couldn't wait to get him alone.

He was also standing pretty close to the fence, alongside all sorts of royals and important politicians he would have to talk to later, which wasn't something he looked forward to in the slightest.

June had abondened him almost an hour ago and was off doing things with Pez and Nora and so he had made peace with the fact that he would have to find some excuse to explain their disappearance.

He knew that the match would be put on pause in a few minutes and that Henry would be switched out for some other player, so he wandered off and got himself two bottles of water, one for himself and Henry, and then waited.

He watched with mild interest as Henry rode towards the far end of the field and intercepted the ball before passing it off to a teammate that scored a goal.

Immediate applause followed and Alex was quick in joining in. The game was put on hold then for a quick break and Alex watched Henry talk a few minutes with his teammates before the blond excused himself and lead his horse to the sidelines. The horse was taken by one of the caregivers and a lot of pictures were taken after Henry took off his helmet and smiled for the press.

It was _unfair_ how hot Henry looked with sweaty hair and flushed cheeks, but Alex wasn't about to complain, especially since he knew that look in a lot of different contexts.

It took another few moments, before Henry was free to go and when he was, he hurried over to Alex, which was adorable.

"You did great," Alex said, handed Henry one of the bottles and watched as the blond gulped down the entire thing in seconds. "But I'll admit, I was a little bit distracted at times," he added. In response Henry merely rolled his eyes.

"I can imagine where your mind went," Henry said then, nodded gratefully as Alex gave him his own bottle too and pushed some stray strands out of his eyes. They barely noticed the cameras pointed at them.

"If you can imagine it so well, why don't you tell me what I was thinking about?" There was a coy smile on Alex's lips and Henry didn't think as he stepped closer and kissed that smile off his lips.

As soon as they parted again though, Henry realized what he had done and horror overshadowed that feeling of simple joy he had felt before.

Alex seemed unbothered by Henry's realization, but didn't hesitate in grabbing his wrist and leaving the noisy press behind them until they were alone in one of the tents.

"I-- Oh my god-- _my grandmother will kill me,_" Henry started to panic, but Alex didn't leave him enough time to talk himself into a bad mindset. Alex's warm hands framed Henry's face, his brown eyes sought Henry's blue ones out and then he urged Henry to place his hand over Alex's heart.

Henry felt the steady beat of Alex's heart beneath his fingertips and matched his breathing to Alex's, until he was calmer again. It took a few more minutes before Henry dropped his hand and pulled Alex in a grounding hug.

"Nobody will kill you, baby. I'm here, ok? And I won't let her talk you down," Alex said against Henry's ear, then pressed a chaste kiss against the blond's temple and hugged him even tighter.

_ **v. quality time** _

It was rare for both of them to have a day off and it was even rarer if those days free of any sort of tasks, fell onto the same day for both of them, but when they did, they tried to make the most of them.

Which is why they both were in a Jeep, Alex behind the steering wheel, while being trailed by all sorts of security that ensured that everything would run smoothly on their little trip to the lake house.

Henry had been looking forward to this trip for weeks now, much like Alex and it was a hassle to get a free day in the first place and manage to keep them free, but they succeeded in the end and were about five minutes away from their destination.

Henry glanced over at Alex then and smiled at the way the wind tousled his dark hair. He couldn't wait to be left alone for entire 24 hours as soon as they arrived. Seemingly sharing the sentiment, Alex placed a warm hand on top of Henry's thigh and intertwined their fingers, before raising Henry's palm and pressing a gentle kiss against his knuckles.

He really wanted to feel those lips somewhere else on his body.

* * *

After the security team ensured that everything was clear and safe on the perimeter, they took their leave and made themself comfortable in the houses surrounding the lake house and left the two men alone for now.

Alex parked the Jeep in the driveway and then thanked Henry, when the blond took both their bags and waited for him to unlock the door.

Stepping into the house was like _coming home_ for both of them, because they have regularly found peace and quiet in those four walls, when everything got too much and they needed some time for each other away from prying eyes.

They both kicked off their shoes, discarded the bags in their room, this time without bunk beds, because Alex would rather die than sleep on separate beds during their day off, and then they migrated towards the kitchen to check if there were any groceries or something edible left.

"Shaan really thinks about everything, doesn't he?" Alex asked amused, when he spotted the small card with Shaan's neat handwriting.

'We stocked the fridge for you, since we know you both wouldn't leave the house either way. Enjoy your day off.'

"How _considerate_ of him," Henry replied with a fond twinkle in his eyes. He opened the fridge and was met with enough food for a week and not a single day, but he wasn't about to complain.

Alex's arms slid around his waist then and he couldn't help but melt at the touch.

"How about we prepare something to eat and then watch a movie, before we hop into the lake?" he asked, placed a few featherlight kisses against Henry's neck and then leaned his head against Henry's shoulder.

Henry wrapped his hands around Alex's wrists and squeezed gently in response.

* * *

It was amazing how _seamlessly_ they moved around the kitchen, so in tune and at ease with each other that Henry had to stop for a few seconds and realize how domestic they had gotten. He hoped it would stay the way for a very long time and from the way Alex looked at him alone, he knew that Alex shared his sentiment.

They didn't cook anything fancy, because there was no need to impress each other with actions like that anymore. Alex chopped some vegetables, while Henry prepared the fish they had found in the freezer and soon after they were sitting in the little breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen and ate in relative silence.

"I bet Shaan and Zahra think we are having sex right now," Alex said out of the blue and Henry had to focus hard, not to choke on the salad he was trying to eat.

"H-how did you come to that conclusion?" Henry asked then, took a quick sip of water and hoped that Alex hadn't notice how red his face got as his mind went down the gutter.

Alex met his gaze then, amusement evident in the way he bit his lip and then filled Henry's empty glass of water with some more.

"I think, that they think that's all we do in our free time," he simply answered and Henry really hoped that Alex was wrong in his observation, because that would be simply humiliating.

* * *

The movie they watched was good enough to hold Henry's attention for about an hour and a half, before Alex made himself comfortable behind Henry on the couch and wrapped his arms around his body until there was not a single centimetre of space between Alex's chest and Henry's back.

After that, Henry simply intertwined his fingers with Alex's and let himself be enveloped by warmth until the credits rolled.

* * *

"Oh, _c'mon_ Henry, I've seen you naked so many times by now and this isn't any different."

Henry couldn't help but roll his eyes at the exaggerated pout Alex gave him after he had refused to go skinny dipping in the lake. Sometimes he thought Alex was still a horny teenager when it came to things like this.

"And if you want to continue to see me naked, you should listen to me, because I really don't want to be caught naked by our security team," he replied to which Alex didn't say anything anymore.

Alex pouted until they reached the pier and the promptly stripped out of his swim trunks and chucked them somewhere behind them. He gave Henry a cheeky grin and then jumped into the refreshing water without another word.

Henry watched him resurface again, his hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks and he thought he was simply gorgeous.

"If your naked ass appears on TMZ tomorrow, you can't complain," Henry said and then jumped into the lake to keep a very naked, very handsome Alex company.

**Author's Note:**

> this is so self indulgent bc they love each other so much and I love that they love each other 🤧
> 
> I really hope you liked it and I'd really appreciate kudos & comments!! ♡


End file.
